


The Non-Eventful Term at the Chalet School

by LadyEleanor456



Category: Chalet School - Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Genre: Community: Lime Green Musing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:16:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25432225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyEleanor456/pseuds/LadyEleanor456
Summary: The first story I ever wrote.
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

Miss Annersley and Miss Wilson sat in the Head's study waiting for the arrival of the school for the new term. Miss Wilson glanced at her watch, "Not long now Hilda" she said, "We ought to be getting ready to greet the girls."

Miss Annersley opened her grey/blue eyes which had never yet needed glasses and smiled at her friend, "You're quite right Nell," she answered, but, instead of rising Miss Annersley gave a deep sigh.

"Hilda? Is there anything wrong?" enquired Miss Wilson, worried by the sigh and her friends expression.

"Not really," replied Miss Annersley, "But...oh, just for once I would like a term where nothing alarming or unexpected happened."

"Wouldn't that be nice," answered Miss Wilson, "However it is unlikely to happen, this is the measles term after all, and we have one or two potentially dangerous expeditions, as well as the usual new girls who will require a lot of help before they settle down and become real chalet girls."

"Yes, you're right" said Miss Annersley sadly, and together they rose and went to greet the arriving school.

Over at Freudsheim, Joey Maynard, having packed the triplets off to school nice and early was also looking forwards to a peaceful term. She was hoping to be busy for some of it. Maybe this time she really would present the school with those long promised quads. That would cause a sensation.

At the school Len, Con and Margot were on the front steps awaiting the coaches bringing the rest of the school up to the Chalet.

"Will there be any new girls this term?" enquired Margot.

"Yes," replied Len "Mamma wants me to sheepdog one. I believe she is the daughter of a former pupil, but she has gone off the rails slightly and is not happy about coming here."

"What’s her name?" asked Margot.

"Susan," said Len.

"That’s a shame," commented Con, "Mamma has already used that name in one of her books.

"Yes," said Margot, "A new girl without an unusual name, that hasn't happened in a while."

The triplets lapsed into thoughtful silence, until Con spotted the buses approaching up the drive.

Len found it easy to spot the new girl, she stood slightly alone, clutching her umbrella. Len hurried towards her.

"Hello, you must be one of the new girls, Susan isn't it? I'm Len Maynard, my mother has asked me to be your sheepdog."

"Your mother?" answered Susan in surprise, "Why has your mother asked you to sheepdog me?"

"Well, she was the first Chalet girl you know, and in a way she has never really left so she likes to extend a helping hand to any new girls. Especially ones who are the children of former pupils."

"I see." said Susan, "Well, that’s very kind of you, but I must say I do intend on settling down and being a real Chalet girl as soon as possible."

"Oh," said Len, in some confusion, "but I thought..."

Susan laughed, "You thought I didn't want to come here. You are right. However on thinking things over I realised that it was far to good and opportunity to miss, and I may as well make the most of it."

"Well," replied Len, at a bit of a loss, "Umm... Oh yes, my mother will be having you and the other new girls over tea soon, she always does. She is Josephine M Bettany you know."

"Who? Oh, the author. I have read some of her books, they are a pleasant read I suppose. Someone told me she lived here."

"Do you know about the languages rule?" asked Len, somewhat desperately.

"Indeed. Mother showed me the prospectus and I read it from cover to cover. I already speak some French and German so it really won't be a problem."

At this point, to Len's relief Miss. Annersley raised he hand for silence, and feeling slightly bewildered Len hustled the new girl into line.


	2. Chapter 2

"I won't keep you long, as you must be tired after you journey," said Miss Annersley in her clear, beautiful voice, "However I would just like to say welcome to our new girls and welcome back to the old ones. We have some splendid expeditions lined up for you this term, as well as the fete and the usual sports and lessons." And with that Miss Annersley dismissed the school to unpack.

Later that evening Matron stalked into the staffroom. Kathie Ferrars leapt up. "Matron, you look exhausted, have some of Jeanne’s nectar like coffee to revive you."

"Thank you," said Matron crisply.

"How did the unpacking go?" asked Nancy Wilmot.

"It all went well," answered Matron slowly, as if she were unsure of something.

"Then why do you sound so down?"

"Its just, nobody left anything at home, everything had all the correct equipment and everything was properly labelled. This has never happened before, something always goes wrong somewhere."

"Don't be so negative," cried Nancy.

"You're right Nancy," agreed Kathie, "Here's your coffee Matron. This will put the world to rights."

But Matron was not so sure. She sipped the nectar like brew with a small frown creasing her forehead. To her mind something was definitely not  
right.

The next morning dawned bright and clear. On hearing the bell Len jumped out of bed in a hurry to show Susan the one and only way Matron believed beds should be made. To her surprise, on entering Susan's cubical she saw the mattress humped up and the cubical itself was spotless.

"Good morning," she said, "Has someone already told you how to do things then?"

"Oh no," replied Susan, "This is the way I have always done it. Anyway, I need to go as I am next on the bath list, bathroom no. 2."

And with that she shot out of her cubical and headed off to wash.

The next few weeks passed off without incident. The weather continued fine and Susan showed every intention of settling down and becoming a real Chalet girl. To Margot's disgust she seemed inclined to form a close friendship with Con. Margot was still troubled by a certain selfishness in her character. Sent away from her family to Canada at a young age, she had a surface sophistication which concealed her true self beneath. Whilst she had formed a close bond with Emerence Hope, she deeply resented her sisters having friends outside their tripletship. This had occasionally led to quarrels between the trips as Margot possessed a strong temper, as well as a desire to get her own way. However on this occasion Margot successfully wrestled with her "devil" as the family called it, and Con and Susan’s friendship was able to progress unhindered.

Finally, one Saturday morning the Chalet School woke up to discover that it had snowed in the night.

When the girls arrived for Fruhstuck (Sp?!) they we met by the pleasing news that they were to be allowed to go skiing or sledging.

"But no accidents please," smile Miss Annersley, "We don't want anybody in the San."

Matron looked up hopefully.

"And please remember you snow goggles," continued Miss Annersley, unaware of the expression on Matey’s face. For once no new girl question this order and the school set out.

The Head Girl, one Mary-Lou Trelawney, gathered all the new girls together, "Now then," she demanded in her clarion tones, "Who hasn't skied before?"

She looked at the new girls, confidently expecting at least one of them to raise her hand. It was a tradition at the Chalet School that at least one new girl would be unable to ski. The subsequent lessons would usually provide the more able skiers with vast amounts of amusement as the novices would perform various acrobatics, which would then be held against them for the rest of their school career.

"Well?" demanded Mary-Lou.

Not a single new girl raised her hand.

"You can all ski?" She asked in shock.

As one the new girls nodded their heads.

"Oh. In that case... "stuttered Mary-Lou, the wind completely knocked from her sails. But without waiting for her to finish the new girls skied away across the slopes, leaving Mary-Lou to gaze after them, dumbstruck.

After several hours hard skiing, Con, who had been skimming across the snow as lightly as a bird, gave a cry as her ski caught a small branch buried in the snow. She flew up into the air and then vanished into a nearby snowdrift.

Her shriek had reached the ears of Mdlle and she hurried over, fully expecting to find Con still, grey and to all appearances dead. Instead, when she reached her, Con was beginning to sit up, she was wriggling, pink and very obviously alive.

On returning to school everyone confidently expected Con to sleepwalk after the excitement of the skiing. Indeed Matron was fully prepared for such an eventuality. Con however slept like a log and the night passed without incident. Matron, on the other hand passed a very bad night as she lay awake pondering what was going wrong with this term.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning the school rose with a faint sense of unease, as if something was not quite right. Nobody could put a finger on it, but everyone knew it was there.

Over at Freudesheim things were also not going quite as expected. Joey had realised that she was not going to a so busy after all, and settle down instead to write her book.

English tea with the new girls had been very pleasant, but nobody had turned out to be related to anybody else, everyone had got on and none of the girls needed any help or advise. This worried Joey slightly, where was she to get the plot for her next book from? She had been relying on Susan to fulfil this role, but when she had taken her to one side to chat about the difficulties Susan should have been facing Joey was surprised to find Susan had settled in well.

"I want you to think of Freudesheim as a home from home. Any problems you may be experiencing, you can always come here."

"Thank you, but I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Very sure?"

"Yes."

"Nobody has taken an irrational hate to you?"

"No. Why? Should they have done?" asked Susan worriedly.

"Err... well... it is usual...and if someone does, you can always come and tell me."

Susan gave up. "Thank you," she said, "If I need to I will."

Joey was not happy.

Miss Annersley sat in her study reading a letter. She was startled by the phone, she saw that it was the private line from the San. That would only mean one thing.

"Jack?" she asked worriedly as she picked up the phone.

"Yes Hilda, its me," replied Jack, "Bad news I'm afraid, measles has broken out on the Platz."

"No!" replied Miss Annersley in horror.

"Afraid so," said Jack, "If I were you I would get the whole school together and find out who hasn't had it, and isolate them immediately, unless you want an epidemic on your hands."

"A sensible plan," said Miss Annersley, "I will get Matron onto it straight away. She will be glad of something to do, up until know its been a very healthy term."

"Not for much longer," replied Jack as he hung up the phone.

Jack's pessimism was unfounded. On calling the school together Matron was dumbfounded to discover that every girl had either had measles, or been vaccinated to prevent it. There would be no epidemic at the Chalet School this year.

As Matron was lead away to partake in a large medicinal brandy, the girls looked at each other. The feeling of unease was growing.

The lack of epidemic produced a problem of a different kind for Miss. Annersley. If all the girls were immune to the disease then how was Miss Annersley going to marry off those members of staff she wished to replace? No epidemic meant no handsome doctors coming down from the san to take Mistresses of her hands.

"Damn," thought Miss Annersley "This means we are likely to be stuck with Joan Bertram for a while longer yet."

Up at the San, the hordes of handsome doctors were not happy either. Many had only applied for their jobs on the grounds that a biddable wife came as part of the package. In fact, many Doctors had specialised in childhood diseases in order to be on hand when yet another epidemic struck the Chalet School. The Doctors glared at Jack.

"I don't understand, "he cried, "I wasn't lying! There is always an epidemic. If you could just hang on till next term I'm sure we could sort something out."


	4. Chapter 4

As the term progressed things didn't happen. The new girls had settled in well, making friends, but failing to get involved in feuds with any jealous, more established girls. When sent to the store cupboards in Dommy Sci no girl returned with the wrong ingredients. The middles, whilst not entirely becoming wingless angels did nothing too startling and nobody blew up the chemistry lab.

At last the staff had to face facts. So far nothing had happened.

"Not to worry," said Hilary Burn, "We still have the expedition to Italy to see Mt Etna to take place."

"True," replied Miss Wilson, "Something must happen then, if only for Matey's sake."

And the staff as one turned to look at Matron, who was sat in the corner looking very demoralised. 

Upon arrival in Italy the school settled comfortably into the hotel and prepared for their trip up the volcano which was to take place the next day. In their rooms the staff were carefully checking the emergency equipment.

"Chocolate in case we need to spend the night in a hut."

"Check."

"Lighter to light the fire, to melt the chocolate."

"Check."

"Small portable snow machine so we can make some snow to melt for the chocolate."

"Check."

"Random packets of raisins and biscuits."

"Check."

“Bandages for the necessary injuries."

"Check."

From their windows in the hotel the girls had a clear view of Mt Etna, but when they awoke the next day, the view was obscured by a thick layer of cloud. Nevertheless the trip was to go ahead. 

As the school made their way up the volcano, their progress was disturbed by strange noises coming at them out of the fog, rumblings, creaks, and at one point the ground even seemed to shake. The higher up they got, the louder the noises. Staff and pupils alike started to share glances of unease.

"I think..." said Miss Wilson, but what she was thinking nobody was ever to know, for suddenly, out of the mist loomed a glowing red object, moving slowly towards them. Everyone screamed. 

Just as they were all turning to flee from what they guessed to be a huge lava flow the mist cleared revealing a battered red car full of tired volcanologists bumping their way down from the crater. They waved at the school on their way down.

The school made it to the top, where in exclaiming delightedly over the view of the crater Susan overbalanced. For a minute she stood poised, arms flailing, but luckily she regained her balance and took a step back.

"That could have been a pretty nasty accident," said Mary-Lou.

"Yes," replied Matron sadly.

The school spent a happy day exploring the volcano and then made its way safely back to the hotel.

"That was... interesting," said Mary-Lou.

"In fact this whole trip has been.... educational," said someone else.

Quietly they began to eat their dinner and still quietly the got onto the coaches and returned to Switzerland.

The fete passed without a hitch. The theme was decided on quickly, Tom sent her usual dolls house and nobody tried to slay Miss. Wilson. The school raised a huge amount of money for the San which was gratefully accepted by Jack Maynard, Sir James and Lady Russell having failed to turn up unexpectedly at the last minute.

Finally, to the relief of all, the last day of this disturbing term arrived. Miss Wilson and Miss Annersley stood on the steps of the school waving the coaches off.

"Well," said Miss Wilson, "You got your wish. I don't think we have ever had a term like this one before."

"No," replied Miss. Annersley thoughtfully.

They looked at each other. "Wasn't it dull," they said in unison.

(At which point the jinx kicked in and the school was flattened by an avalanche).


End file.
